Forward to Frankfurt — Stéphane’s Top Four Choices

After the Melbourne SPE and the Regional Championships in Santa Catarina and Philadelphia, we now have a clearer view of the Sun and Moon-Celestial Storm metagame. This coming September 29th and 30th, it will be Europe’s turn to have its first major post-rotation event: a Regionals in Frankfurt, Germany. In this article, I’ll try to summarize the current metagame and discuss some decks I’m considering playing at Frankfurt. Of course, if you’re not from Europe, you can still use this information for your own League Cups, and possibly even Memphis Regionals in October.

[cardimg name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ align=”right” c=”custom”]Putting ‘pod back in the binder for now.[/cardimg]

Dragon Majesty is tournament-legal starting last weekend. That said, I don’t expect it to change the metagame too much. I do expect a few of the new cards to see play: Lance Prism Star and Zinnia might breath new life into [card name=”Garchomp” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], Reshiram-GX could be a new partner for [card name=”Ho-Oh-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card], and cards like Altaria-GX or Blaziken could see some play. For the most part, though, I think if you ignore Dragon Majesty, you can still have a good understanding of what the metagame will be in Frankfurt. Don’t be surprised, then, if the decks I discuss in this article aren’t particularly new concepts.

So far this season, we only have a few European League Cup results to analyze to figure out the metagame, but if there’s one card that’s been associated with Europe during the past year, it’s [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card]. With European players winning the 2018 World Championships, three International Championships, and six of the seven European Regionals and SPEs that occurred after the card’s release, all with Zoroark-GX archetypes, it’s fair to say that they have been dominant here. I expect that many players in Frankfurt — including the great Tord Reklev — will stay faithful to Zoroark-GX. Thus, I think it’s unwise to play a deck with a bad Zoroark-GX matchup at the event.

I myself played Zoroark-GX / [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM62″ c=”name”][/card] in the only event I’ve attended after Worlds so far, a League Cup where I lost to a [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] deck in Top 8. I was disappointed with this result; it’s partly my fault, as I could have played game one smarter by making better use of [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”name”][/card], but I also think the Golisopod-GX variant of the deck is not very good anymore. Zoroark-GX’s best partner in the new format is [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]. I’ll discuss why I think this below, and then I’ll talk about some other decks I’m more enthusiastic about.

The Zoroark-GX Conundrum

(Conundrum is one of those English words that sounds super cool to me, so as long as I’m writing in English, I have to take the opportunity to use it!)

Zoroark-GX needs no introduction. Possibly one of the best cards ever printed, it has left its mark on both formats — Zoroark-GX decks were so powerful in Expanded this past season that three cards had to be banned to make them “fair.” This season, Zoroark-GX has won a fair share of League Cups, but it hasn’t won any of the three major events so far. Only 23% of day two decks at Philadelphia Regionals were Zoroark-GX variants. That’s decent, but lower than the deck’s representation in Top 32 of 2018 Worlds (31%) or Day 2 of the 2018 NAIC (32%).

[cardimg name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ align=”left” c=”none”][/cardimg]

It’s not that people are just now trying to counter Zoroark-GX. Sure, many [card name=”Shrine of Punishment” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card] decks use [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], a card that’s famously hard for Zoroark to deal with; but Zoroark-GX saw several counter decks during the 2017-2018 season, and still always found a way to adapt to its opponents. Zoroark-GX’s current issues, in my opinion, stem from the loss of consistency suffered due to [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card]’s rotation. The deck now bricks more often and, on average, needs to spend more turns setting up. This means that you can’t play tech cards as easily in the early turns of the game: you can’t afford to [card name=”Mallow” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card] for a [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] and an [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] if you’re still trying to evolve your second [card name=”Zorua” set=”Shining Legends” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card]; and that’s assuming you can even find room for those tech cards, which is becoming harder. There are many other powerful decks in the format and each requires its own counter: [card name=”Devoured Field” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] for Shrine of Punishment decks, [card name=”Dedenne” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] + [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”name”][/card] for [card name=”Rayquaza-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Judge” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Shining Legends” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card] for decks that use [card name=”Steven’s Resolve” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] for the mirror…

What’s more, in the past, Zoroark-GX was one of the best decks at dealing with a late-game [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card]. Its inherent draw power meant that you could replenish your hand to several cards after getting N’d to one without even using a Supporter of your own. With N rotating, this is one advantage Zoroark-GX loses over its competition. It’s also no longer able to use N itself, which was a huge asset when trying to come back from an unfavorable position. Sure, Judge exists, but it doesn’t have the same disruptive ability.

That’s why Zoroark-GX doesn’t feel as powerful as it did last format. You don’t set up as well and you spend the whole game lagging behind your opponent because your options aren’t as strong or as varied as before.

Of course, players are trying to fix that, and the most recent innovation is [card name=”Great Ball” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]. It has a chance to fail, but it can act like an additional [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] by finding a Basic Pokemon, or like an [card name=”Evosoda” set=”Generations” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] by finding an Evolution Pokemon. If you have a Great Ball and a Nest Ball in hand and you’re looking for a Zorua and a [card name=”Rockruff” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card], playing the Great Ball gives you a 66% chance of finding one of these two cards (assuming you play four Zorua and three Rockruff, none of which are in your hand) and you can then find the other one with Nest Ball. Jimmy Pendarvis, who got ninth place at Philadelphia Regionals, played four Rockruff, and with this eighth out, Great Ball’s odds of success rise to 72%. If this still seems low, remember that [card name=”Timer Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card]’s success rate is 75%, and no one bats an eye at playing it! Great Ball’s versatility more than makes up for its randomness.

Here’s the Zoroark-GX / Lycanroc-GX list I’m currently testing:

[premium]

[decklist name=”Zoroark/Lycanroc” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Diancie Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”74″][pokemon amt=”18″]4x [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Zorua” set=”Shining Legends” no=”52″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Rockruff” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Magcargo” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”24″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Slugma” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”23″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Diancie Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”34″]3x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Lillie” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Judge” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”108″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Great Ball” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”132″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Multi Switch” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Devoured Field” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”8″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Fighting Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Pendarvis and his friends Azul Garcia Griego and Joey Ruettiger opted to play a 4-3 [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] line at Philadelphia. I’ve been testing a [card name=”Magcargo” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] line rather than the additional 1-1 Lycanroc-GX. It does make the deck’s setup a bit less consistent and Great Ball a bit more random, but I wasn’t satisfied with the 4-3 Lycanroc-GX line — it seems like you never need more than two Lycanroc-GX.

On the other hand, Smooth Over is an amazing Ability in combination with Trade. This is especially true of [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] / Lycanroc-GX compared to other variants. Magcargo can allow the deck to execute swing turns where, for example, you set up a Lycanroc-GX out of nowhere thanks to [card name=”Multi Switch” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card]. A play like this can decide games outright in the mirror match.

There are of course many other tech cards one can play in a Zoroark-GX list. I won’t list all the options, but I do want to discuss [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card]. It seems that, with most decks playing either Shrine of Punishment or a Stadium to counter it, and no more Garbotoxin in Standard, Field Blower has been forgotten. Cunning players have been taking advantage of Field Blower’s absence by playing a reactive Tool like [card name=”Bodybuilding Dumbbells” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Metal Frying Pan” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Weakness Policy” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Wishful Baton” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card]. Indeed, Xander Pero took third place in Philadelphia with a Zoroark-GX / [card name=”Banette-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] list that included two Weakness Policy, both to protect his Banette-GX from opposing Zoroark-GX and his Zoroark-GX from Lycanroc-GX or Buzzwole. Any Zoroark-GX deck using Field Blower, however, would have taken a much stronger matchup against Xander.

To summarize: Zoroark-GX is still good, it will still be played, and you need to be prepared for it if you’re not playing it. That said, it doesn’t feel as good as it used to because it lacks some of the options it once had. Personally, I can’t yet rule out playing a Zoroark-GX variant at Frankfurt, but I wouldn’t be surprised to find myself sleeving up something different on the evening of Friday the 28th.

Shrine of Punishment

After Santa Catarina Regionals, in which more than half of day two decks used [card name=”Shrine of Punishment” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card], many players wondered if the Shrine archetype was a fad or a new fixture of the Standard format. The deck was a reaction to the post-Worlds meta of [card name=”Vikavolt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Rayquaza-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card]. Would Vikavolt decks evolve to counter Shrine of Punishment, or would new decks arise against which Shrine would not prove as strong? Caleb Gedemer’s win at Philadelphia Regionals, and the rest of the day two results from that tournament, show that Shrine of Punishment is here to stay.

[card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] / Shrine of Punishment isn’t just a toolbox of counter strategies for a specific metagame; there’s some real synergy behind it. Because it plays zero Pokemon-GX, opponents are forced to Knock Out six Pokemon. This extends games, which both gives Shrine of Punishment time to flood the board with damage counters and allows Trashalanche to become a monstrous threat. I should mention that because of their focus on countering Pokemon-GX, Shrine decks can lose spectacularly to certain non-meta decks, such as [card name=”Swampert” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”35″ c=”name”][/card].

I expect Shrine decks to be a big part of the metagame once again at Frankfurt Regionals. While I can’t completely call them budget decks because of the high cost of Shrine of Punishment, the archetype is still one of the cheapest to build for a new player. Of course, the concept has won the last two Regionals, so it is a good deck regardless of whether you can buy more expensive cards!

I’ve been playtesting with Caleb Gedemer’s and Alex Schemanske’s lists from Philadelphia. I don’t have anything new to add to them, so I won’t bother to copy them here. However, I do have some opinions on what these two players did especially well from a deckbuilding perspective:

[cardimg name=”Weavile” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”74″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

• Buzzwole and Garbodor are both necessary to the deck. You can add [card name=”Weavile” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] just like Caleb did, but I’m not a fan of Buzzwole / Weavile with no Garbodor. It’s not a bad deck, but it doesn’t have the same anti-meta qualities as Buzzwole / Garbodor. With players using non-Ability attackers like [card name=”Dhelmise” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card] in Vikavolt decks, Weavile can be played around too easily. Also, Buzzwole / Weavile does not beat Buzzwole / Garbodor.
• [card name=”Magcargo” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] is amazing. Shrine of Punishment decks have some consistency issues since they don’t want to play [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card]. In combination with a card like [card name=”Lillie” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card], Magcargo allows you to draw what you need every turn, almost singlehandedly solving the consistency problem.
• [card name=”Counter Energy” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] is an interesting card that was featured in Caleb’s winning list. Although it’s situational, it acts as a fifth [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card], and can also allow Buzzwole to use Swing Around when the opponent doesn’t see it coming. I love this innovation and I think Shrine decks benefit from its inclusion. As with any tech in this deck, Magcargo can allow you to find Counter Energy whenever you need it.

With all that said, however, I probably won’t be playing a Shrine of Punishment deck in Frankfurt for two reasons.

First, even with Magcargo, I still worry about a lack of consistency. It feels awful to have a dead hand and be unable to [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] for Tapu Lele-GX. Shrine decks’ turn-by-turn options are weaker because you can generally only dig for one card during your turn through Smooth Over, but your control over the general gameplan is stronger because you force your opponent to take six Prizes and always activate Sledgehammer. I tend to favor control over my turn-by-turn options more, so I prefer Zoroark-GX decks to Shrine decks.

Second, I think that Shrine decks will be teched against more now that they have won two Regionals in a row. Other decks will likely play a minimum of three Stadiums and may cut some Items from their lists. We might see more Banette-GX or [card name=”Shining Lugia” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM82″ c=”name”][/card], both of which can OHKO any Pokemon in a Shrine deck and have Resistance to Buzzwole.

Metagross-GX

I was happy to see [card name=”Metagross-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”85″ c=”name”][/card] in Top 8 at Philadelphia Regionals; it’s a deck I’ve liked since the beginning of the season. Two of the deck’s worst enemies have both rotated: [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”from”][/card], which prevented Metagross-GX from cycling and powering attackers; and [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card], which could nullify an Algorithm GX.

Metagross-GX’s gameplan is simple: set up by benching several [card name=”Beldum” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”83″ c=”name”][/card], finding a [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card] and Metagross-GX on turn two, and using Algorithm GX; then use Giga Hammer every turn, using [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] to heal and charging up a cycle of attackers with Geotech System. This strategy is effective in the current metagame. Giga Hammer OHKOs every Pokemon in a Shrine of Punishment deck, and even though it doesn’t play a counter Stadium, Metagross-GX can out-heal Shrine damage thanks to four copies of Max Potion. Shrine decks, in contrast, have no real way to deal with even a single Metagross-GX — Buzzwole can never OHKO Metagross-GX, and it’s easy for the Metagross-GX player to play around Garbodor and Weavile.

In almost any matchup, if you can use Algorithm GX on your second turn, and the opponent can’t disrupt your hand on their following turn, you’ll be at a huge advantage. For that reason, I think it’s better to focus on streamlining the turn two Algorithm GX than to play a variety of techs in your list. I like [card name=”Order Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card] in the deck, as it provides one more way to find the Rare Candy or [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] you need to get your first Metagross-GX into play.

Here’s my current list:

[decklist name=”Metagross” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Dusk Mane Necrozma” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM107″][pokemon amt=”13″]4x [card name=”Metagross-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”85″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Metang” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”84″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Beldum” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Dhelmise” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”59″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Dusk Mane Necrozma” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”38″]4x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Lillie” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Hala” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”126″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Volkner” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Primal Clash” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Order Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”131″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”9″]7x [card name=”Metal Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”7″][/card]1x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist][cardimg name=”Metagross-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”85″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

The handful of techs in here — [card name=”Dhelmise” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”59″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Dusk Mane Necrozma” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM107″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] — are mainly to help with the [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] matchup, as well as other Zoroark-GX decks. The combination of Dhelmise, Professor Kukui, and [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] allows Metagross to OHKO a Zoroark-GX. You can also hit a Zoroark-GX for 150 damage with Giga Hammer and then finish the Knock Out with 60 damage from Dusk Mane Necrozma’s Dusk Shot.

The Lightning Energy seems strange at first glance, but keep in mind that the cost of Algorithm GX is just a Colorless Energy. There are situations where you can use [card name=”Volkner” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] to find an Ultra Ball or a Rare Candy to find or evolve Metagross-GX and grab an Energy to use Algorithm GX, letting you pull off the turn two combo by simply having a Volkner or [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] in your hand. Since Giga Hammer has a Colorless Energy in its attack cost as well, Volkner can charge up a Giga Hammer when you have only two Geotech System available and no Energy in hand.

Outside of the shaky Zoroark-GX / Lycanroc-GX matchup, Metagross has a good matchup spread. I’ve already mentioned its success against Shrine of Punishment decks, but [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] decks and [card name=”Vikavolt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] decks also have a hard time taking out a Metagross, while their main attackers, [card name=”Necrozma-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM58″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Rayquaza-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], will be OHKO’d by Giga Hammer with a Choice Band.

Ho-Oh-GX / Salazzle-GX

Did you think I’d be content with writing just one article on my favorite fiery bird?

Alright, this section will be short: most of what needs to be said about [card name=”Ho-Oh-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Salazzle-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] is in my previous guide to the deck. It is one of the decks I’m considering for Frankfurt, however, so this article would feel incomplete without at least a brief discussion of it.

[decklist name=”Ho-Oh/Salazzle, take 2″ amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Marshadow” set=”Shining Legends” no=”45″][pokemon amt=”14″]4x [card name=”Ho-Oh-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”21″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Turtonator-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”18″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Salazzle-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”25″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Salandit” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”25″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Shining Legends” no=”45″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”32″]4x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Kiawe” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”116″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Tate & Liza” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Switch” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Po Town” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”14″]14x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”116″ c=”deck2″ amt=”14″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Compared to the list in my last article, I added a fourth Ho-Oh-GX and a fourth [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card], which I’ve found to be better than playing four [card name=”Kiawe” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”116″ c=”name”][/card], in order to increase the odds of a good start. This list hits a turn one Kiawe about 80% of the time. I dropped to two [card name=”Po Town” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] for a while, but the lack of a third counter Stadium makes the [card name=”Shrine of Punishment” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card] matchup too risky.

Off to Frankfurt

That’s all from me, for now — you can expect more articles from me here in October. As cliché as this sounds, I’m very excited to bring you even more quality content! Until then, best of luck at any tournaments you’re attending. As always, don’t hesitate to leave me feedback, either here on the forums or on Twitter.

Stéphane

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